Gandhinagar: The first of its kind ‘Youth Parliament of India 2018’ at Karnavati University was inaugurated by Shri Amit Shah- Member of Parliament (Rajyasabha) & National President, BJP, in the presence of Guests of Honour Shri Vijay Rupani – Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Jitu Vaghani- State President, BJP Gujarat and Shri Pradeepsinh Jadeja- Home Minister, Govt. of Gujarat and Dr. Rutvij Patel – President, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Gujarat. Karnavati University has organised the ‘Youth Parliament of India 2018’ as a unique initiative aimed at establishing a youth forum for democratic dialogues, in association with Heal The World Foundation, on 14th& 15th July at the Karnavati University campus in Ahmedabad. The Youth Parliament will see participation by students from colleges and universities from across the state of Gujarat. The 2 day event will be graced by India’s political bigwigs, thought leaders and luminaries of diverse hues, who will not only share the centre-stage with students, but also address the Youth Parliament on key issues and themes.

In his address at the inauguration of the Youth Parliament, Shri Amit Shah,Member of Parliament (Rajyasabha) & National President, BJP, said , “ India is the largest democracy of the world. In our journey of 70 years of independence, we have gained a lot and have achieved several goals. But we have so much more that is left to accomplish. So what will the new India of 2025 be like? Before India 2025, we need to look at the India in 2022 as India will complete 75 years of independence. The new India in 2025 will be poverty free, corruption free, free from the shackles of casteism and terrorism, with more transparency in the system, and a clean India. To achieve the vision of India 2025, the youth of India needs to help in achieving the goal of Modi Govt.”

Talking about the achievements of the BJP Government, Shri Amit Shah said, “In 4 years of governance, 50 crore people were empowered, 30 crore new bank accounts were opened, 4.5 crore women got gas connection free of cost, 7.5 crore families got toilet facilities, 19,000 villages got electricity and 12 crore kids got vaccination. India’s GDP has reached 7.4%, the CGDP has reached 18.6 % and SWGDP has increased to 3.8% from 1.7%. India’s Agricultural growth jumped from 2% to 4.1%. Inflation decreased from 9.5% to 4.5% while interest rates decreased to 3.5% from 4.8 %. The number of Income tax payers has increased exponentially to 6.84 crore from 3.80 crore.”

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Vijay Rupani – Chief Minister of Gujarat, said, “For nation building, it is an imperative to unite the youth. And the Gujarat Govt. believes in empowering its youth to empower the nation. The Government’s moto is ‘Haar yuva ko kaam, har khet ko pani’. Gujarat has always been known for its innovations and initiatives. A New India means democratically Young India. Modiji’s vision of Digital India is to overcome the challenges that the world is facing today. The state and central governments are working towards empowering the youth with Make in India, Startup India, Stand up India, Digital India and Swachch Bharat. India has the experience and wisdom of elders and the energy of the youth, hence it is crucial for the country to encourage youth in politics.”

Shri Jitubhai Vaghani- State President, BJP Gujarat, said, “Modiji has initiated Make in India, Start-up India, and Digital India for the youth of the country. 70% of the Indian population is under 35 years of the age, and that is the reason why youth will lead the nation in the coming years. India, for the first time in previous election was 12cr. young voters. Youth needs to keep this in mind that the nation is first and then the state and then self. And before doing anything, think what are you contributing and how this will benefit the nation. Achieve your goals keeping India’s growth in mind.”

Dr. Rutvij Patel – President, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Gujarat, said, “ This Youth Parliament has been organised to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a New India by 2025. Modiji has also said that Youth Parliaments should be conducted in every district of the country to discuss and debate pressing issues. We initiated it here in Gujarat because this land is known for its innovation.”

The first session on ‘Digital Intolerance’ at the Youth Parliament saw Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi – Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) & BJP National Spokesperson, Ms. Priyanka Chaturvedi – National Spokesperson, Indian National Congress, Dr. Brajesh Kumar Singh – Channel Head, Zee Hindustan and Shri Amit Malviya – Head, BJP IT Cell.

Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi – Member of Parliament (Loksabha) & BJP National Spokesperson said, “I am against the narrative of intolerance. Why is it that all of a sudden we are discussing about digital intolerance? Newspapers and Television news too are intolerant. This is because, earlier it was only the journalists who had the power to share their opinion, but after social media, everyone has the power to speak and share their opinion. Since internet has come, digital media has replaced newspapers and television. Media can still be controlled, or news can still be paid, but social media cannot be controlled. As a matter of fact, India needs freedom from political intolerance and digital media needs to be more transparent. Following someone on social media does not mean that you’re endorsing them. Following someone and endorsing someone are two completely different things.”

Elaborating on the concept of Youth Parliament, Mr. Ritesh Hada, President– Karnavati University, said, “We at Karnavati University conceived ‘Youth Parliament of India 2018’ to enable youngsters to voice their ideas and opinions on various pertinent issues and topics. Youth force is a huge reservoir of energy which needs to be tapped and harnessed intelligently for the development of society. Policy makers all over the world formulate policies in respect of youth to enhance and streamline their energy. This Youth Parliament is a real opportunity to make one’s own opinions felt and to learn for one self the benefits of operating in a democratic framework while introducing the youth to their social responsibilities.”

The Valedictory Ceremony of the ‘Youth Parliament of India 2018’ will be held on 15th July, wherein Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, AVSM (Retd.), Union Minister of State, Govt. of India, will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest, alongwith Guests of Honour Shri Parshottam Rupala, Minister of State, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India and Sahebji – President, Anoopam Mission, Mogri.